Nov. 18, 2014
To me, that’s the crack in the legendary Alibaba armor—culture can’t remain static. Both Alibaba and China have benefited tremendously from the hard work of the population and the vast market opportunities opened up by Deng Xiaoping’s reform. But China’s current growth model is running out of steam. The government knows it needs more innovation from its people to ensure growth and stability, yet it is not willing to let go of control. Neither, it appears, is Alibaba of its employees.